Real Estate Agencies

“I’m terribly disappointed to have to tell you we received no responses,” interim city manager Lori LaVerriere wrote commissioners this afternoon. “Back to the drawing board.”

Speaking later by phone, LaVerriere called the lack of proposals on “a sign of the economic situation we’re in. It can be an expensive proposition to go in and rehab that building.”

She said estimates just to stabilize the aging structure near the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Seacrest Boulevard had been in the millions. Consultants have said renovation would cost $4.6 million to $5.4 million.

Attorney and developer Michael Weiner owns the land along Seacrest Boulevard, just west of the high school, that hosts the U.S. post office. He’d been one of the interested parties. In the end, he said, two hurdles were too hard to overcome.

He said he couldn’t find anyone willing to pay the high price of removing asbestos and lead. And he cited the school’s fronting of Ocean Avenue, across from City Hall, rather than the higher-profile Boynton Beach Boulevard or even Seacrest.

“It can’t be commercial or retail,” Weiner said. “It’s almost impossible.”The lack of responses from developers came despite grandioise visions and financial breaks from the city and hard cash from its Community Redevelopment Agency .

Staffers have recommended the city be prepared to waive permits and fees up to $100,000. The CRA board is dangling $150,000 recently made available by tax changes.

They’ve recommended using the building as an education or banquet hall; a multi-tenant complex for office space, retail, food and services such as fitness centers; or an art and culture center with studios and meeting spots. They also said applicants should be prepared to lease or even buy the building from the city.

City Commissioner Woodrow Hay was surprised at the lack of proposals and said he’d expected at least a few submissions.

“I guess we’re going to have to address that and see where we go from here,” Hay said.